Corso complaint drivel, says Mr Kidd

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 20

Corso complaint drivel, says Mr Kidd

PA Wellington The Opposition’s defence , spokesman, Mr Doug Kidd, says a Corso complaint against him is “self-righteous drivel." The Marlborough member of Parliament said he had drawn attention to some Corso activities in the past and the organisation had obviously been “waiting patiently” to try to get its own back.

Corso has complained to the Race Relations Conciliator after a remark Mr Kidd made about New Zealand’s being in danger of having “an African sergeant major-led Army in no time” if high-quality training were not given senior officers. “Mr Kidd’s comment is an insult to African people and destructive of New Zealand’s relationship with African States,” said Corso’s chairman, the Rev. Don Borrie. Mr Kidd said any inves-

tigation by the conciliator would be wasting taxpayers’ money. His comment was “political, not racial.” “The gruesome facts are that thousands of good citizens, including many Christians, have suffered terrible deaths at the hands of jumped-up military leaders in a number of countries in Africa in the last 20 years,” he said.

Mr Borrie should rejoice that he lived in a democratic society where the Armed Forces were not only loyal to whoever was the Government, but were totally professional and kept out of politics. “His happiness should be completed by the fact that there are no crocodiles in our rivers,” Mr Kidd said.

Corso was accusing him “in a cloud of cliches” of being a racist — a judgment which, as a member of a Blenheim marae, he considered unchristian.